My friend Mike Paulle has given me permission to post his daily reports for each event of the World Series of Poker this year to the ChipBoard! Below is his report on Event #29. Andy - Las Vegas

WORLD SERIES OF POKER 2002

EVENT #29 OMAHA HI-LO SPLIT
Wednesday, May 15, 2002
$5,000 BUY-IN
$5,000 in chips

"I COULD BEAT THIS GUY WITH MY EYES CLOSED"

Famous Last Words

There were 79 entrants in the $5,000 Omaha Ho-Lo for a total prize pool of
$371,300. One table was paid, a total of 9 players.

To setup the Final Table Wednesday night, Marcel Luske and Hans Pfister chopped
up a "Dr. Harvey," the all-in short stack, with a better high and low so the
last nine could go to bed. One out of the money was also one out of the Final
Table because only nine were paid.

THE FINAL TABLE 32 mins left of 90. The blinds were $1,000/$2,000

Player Hometown Chip Count

Seat 1 Hans Pfister Zurich, Switzerland $35,000
Seat 2 Max Stern San Jose, Costa Rica $37,000
Seat 3 Mike Shi Lakewood CA $9,000
Seat 4 John Cernuto Las Vegas NV $51,000
Seat 5 John McIntosh Baltimore MD $13,000
Seat 6 Daniel Negreanu Las Vegas NV $98,000
Seat 7 Mike Matusow Las Vegas NV $46,000
Seat 8 Marcel Luske Almere, Holland $43,000
Seat 9 Greg Mascio Fullerton CA $64,000

At most Final Tables, typically, there will be one player who can barely win a
hand. Today, there were three such players. The reason for this super-abundance
of player bad luck had a name. The reason's name was Daniel Negreanu.

Mike Matusow derisively sang this early-table theme song, "Daniel…Daniel…He
plays every hand, he flops every hand." In actual fact, Negreanu usually RAISED
every hand and won. Worse for those who lost to him (again Mike Matusow
speaking) "He gets in with the worst of it every time and wins." Not in this
WSOP has there been an initial chip leader double up in the first hour of play.
It was mind-boggling.

Everyone who's played with Daniel Negreanu knows how hot he can get, but
usually Danny is playing good starting cards. Today, Negreanu could feel the
momentum he had, knew he was on a freeroll against this field, and played
almost any four cards he picked up. And they won! As Danny's stack reached for
the ceiling, Mike mugged to Daniel "Those chips are an illusion. You are going
to need every one of them when we get… HEADS UP. It seemed like a jest at the
time, but more prophetic words weren't spoken today.

Before play commenced, Danny and Mike Shi crossed paths and wished each other
good luck. "You're going to need good luck with only $9,000." Danny added with
the now-famous Negreanu cackle that sends ice-water down player's spines. You
could tell Danny was juiced for this one. Mike Shi didn't have much luck and
left quickly to Hans Pfister's flopped three Kings. Shi had A 3 4 6, but no low
came.

Although well behind Negreanu, Greg Mascio WAS second chip leader at the start.
But two huge hands early sent Greg out in 8th. Both hands were odd because it
was hard to tell what Mascio had that made him call all the way to the river
then muck. Mascio called yet another Negreanu raise from the big blind and
mucked his hand when Danny showed him trip Jacks with no low. The board was J 9
4 6 7. Did Greg have trip 9's and no low?
The same thing happened later when Danny showed Greg a middle straight and an A
3 for low. John Cernuto ended Mascio's disappointing day with an A J 4 3 for a
straight and nut low. Greg finally had to show a hand. He had Q Q 5 2 all-in
for Queen's up.

How many of you Omaha Hi-Lo players raise under the gun with J 9 8 7. A middle
wrap is often death in Hi-Lo. As hot as he was at the time, Danny Negreanu
didn't have to look at his cards to raise under the gun. John McIntosh should
get something for four pair, don't you think? That's hard to do. John was
all-in from the big blind with 10 9 6 3. A straight beats four pair in poker,
but should it? Which is harder to get?

The third player to avoid winning very often today was Max Stern. The good
Doctor chopped a couple of all-ins, but then left in 6th for a house call. His
own. Doc went all-in for the last time with A 10 10 4. Mike Matusow was just
starting to heat up. He had pocket 3's and flopped a full house. The board
double paired with no 10's and no low.

The magic cards were still coming for Danny when Hans Pfister called all-in
from the big blind and his last $1k. Hans needed Kings but not the one that
came on the river giving Danny the nut straight with his A Q. The
multi-talented Swiss could go get a chocolate in 5th.

The cards that were falling had 'Miami' John Cernuto talking to himself. John
went all-in on the turn when he made a Queen high flush. Marcel Luske had the
Ace high to give Cernuto 4th.

A fabulous insight into what was going on at that point was provided by the
inspired poker writer, Lee Munzer. Lee noticed the obvious, as usual. (Just
kidding, Lee) Marcel Luske had allowed his play to be affected by the
shenanigans of Negreanu and Matusow. Danny and Mike are opponents several times
a year. They can goof around without hurting themselves. Marcel was the
stranger to the group and couldn't play the duo's game. Marcel's hope for
victory was in the nether lands. All-in, Luske needed a 5 to survive. He had
pocket 5's, but Daniel Negreanu had flopped a full house with 3 4. No 5, no
survive, in 3rd for Luske.

The bantering between the two was constant for four hours. Example: Danny
speaking to Mike: "We've played heads up, maybe 20 times. You almost won once."
Danny speaking about Mike: "I could beat this guy with my eyes closed."

But Mike won this time and it was a big one, his second gold bracelet and a
cherished memory.

Negreanu, after being so hot for so long…well, let Matusow tell it. "He
(Danny) never put me on a hand. But when he started to go cold, he finally did
(put Matusow on a hand). That's when I stole him blind." Just as Mike had
predicted, "You're going to need every one of those chips…HEADS UP." Danny
did need every one and he lost every one.

Alarmingly the unthinkable eventually happened. The castle of chips that Danny
had built on the bones of the departed, was gone.

Danny went all-in for his last $14k with a back door straight and low draw.
Mike Matusow had flopped trip 4's and needed two bricks to shut his rival up
and out. That's what came, 10 9.

In 40 years or so, when Mike Matusow and Danny Negreanu are elderly gentlemen
sitting in the Horseshoe coffee shop together, Mike will STILL be teasing Danny
about what happened on May 16, 2002. It was THAT important to both of them.

One of the things you can do with 'Famous Last Words' is 'Eat Them.'

Official Money Winners
1. Mike Matusow $148,520
2. Daniel Negreanu $ 85,400
3. Marcel Luske $ 44,560
4. John Cernuto $ 26,000
5. Hans Pfister $ 20,420
6. Max Stern $ 16,700
7. John McIntosh $ 13,000
8. Greg Mascio $ 9,280
9. Mike Shi $ 7,420